Rivet Logic Blogs

Day: Thursday, November 09, 2017

You don’t have to look far in most organizations to find a tangle of different technologies in use for Digital Asset Management (DAM). Some people may be storing their files on their desktop (gasp!), while others have them hidden in a multi-level folder structure that makes the pyramids of Giza look like some simple Lego blocks. Still other workers are storing their files in the cloud, on thumb drives, on ftp sites with their vendor . . . you get the picture. Digital asset management is a serious and growing problem for management and marketers alike. People love to engage with multimedia content, but if you can’t find your digital assets this can make the job of marketers that much more difficult. Here’s some best practices for effective data management using a DAM platform for your business.

DAM Defined

Digital Asset Management, or DAM systems, provide a cohesive way to store and access all types of data, often from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. This central repository allows you to manage organization, metadata, licensing and distribution of a vast array of information, such as:

Images

Video

PDF, Word and Excel documents

Social media posts

Audio files

Layered graphic layout files

XML or HTML files

The beauty of a consolidated DAM is that any authorized individual can add to and access this massive quantity of data, quickly and efficiently without disturbing someone else who may also be using the same information in a different way. A great example is a designer who needs a specific image for a website and a designer in a different department who wants to use an image in a print ad. Instead of both designers purchasing and storing the files, a DAM provides a way to effectively share the digital assets without confusion.

Benefits of a DAM

Aside from allowing colleagues to collaborate, there are many benefits to centralized digital asset management for your organization. With an active DAM and solid standards, you’ll be able to capture detailed metadata — or details about the data — that aid searching and retrieval of your assets. Unlike a hard drive on your computer, digital asset management is infinitely scalable, allowing you to purchase access to a system that is just large enough to meet your immediate needs instead of overspending on storage for the future. As your business needs grow, so can your DAM system requirements. Many asset management systems provide you with tools to migrate from popular cloud-based storage solutions such as Google Drive and Dropbox, which are adequate for smaller businesses but do not include workflow functionality or true DAM capabilities.

Protecting Your Assets

Digital asset management does more than simply store your data, it truly manages the assets that belong to your organization. This means digital rights to manage copyright and licensing terms, and the ability to check assets into and out of the system for access control. As long as you set up permissions properly within your DAM, you can easily invite others to have limited access to files while tracking their usage and assuring that all downloads meet your guidelines. Version control is also available in many DAM systems, so if a file is lost or damaged you’ll have immediate access to a backup solution.

Full Distribution Control

Want to distribute a piece of content, but limit the usage or ensure that it’s fully copyrighted? No problem with a robust DAM solution in place. You’re able to distribute specific assets easily and in a very controlled fashion — even setting an embargo on files until a particular date and time. Automated workflows provide convenience and process control, while speeding content creation and distribution. Some DAM systems even allow file movement from within a mobile app or website, for the ultimate ease of use.

Brand and Creative Control

It’s a marketers nightmare to have an old version of a creative design out in the marketplace, and a powerful DAM helps ensure that only the final and approved versions are available for distribution or use. Brand guidelines are easily stored and consolidated, and leveraged by different departments at the same time. When this type of document is stored centrally, you can assure that designers are always following the right version of brand guidelines and recommendations. Control brand look and maintain uniformity by having one approved version of logos, taglines, templates and letterhead, while archiving older versions for future viewing.

Provide Access to Vendors

Collaboration doesn’t occur only within your building, and many organizations outsource video, design and copywriting to external agencies. This can be challenging if you’re using traditional local storage solutions, especially with large video or audio files. Fortunately, DAM systems allow you to provide partners with limited access to files for read-only access or the ability to drop the latest version into the workflow. You can integrate venders as deeply or as lightly as you desire with a fully-configured DAM system.

Finding the right digital asset management system for your needs can be challenging, especially if you’re not familiar with the technology or how it can be successfully implemented. Partnering with an experienced system integrator can ensure that you find and implement the right solution that’s tailored to your business needs.